PRISON REFORMS MOVE THROUGH HOUSE AND SENATE

Lawmakers reacting to a recent tragedy in a Washington prison are hurrying to enact sweeping new laws before the legislative session adjourns next month. In a sign of how important the issue of prison safety is, identical reform bills are moving through both the House and Senate this week in Olympia. Both bills would implement the recommendations issued by the National Institute of Corrections in the wake of Monroe prison guard Jayme Biendl’s murder in January of this year. Representative Troy Kelley, a University Place Democrat, is a sponsor of the House version, which starts by ordering an immediate and comprehensive review of security policies and procedures throughout the state’s prison system including Grays Harbor’s Stafford Creek Corrections Center. The bills also mandate additional staff-safety training in every prison and require corrections officials to explore new technology and non-lethal weapons to help prison personnel protect themselves.